Longcircuits
by FloatingCloudBadger
Summary: "He's peering into her eyes now, like she's a car that won't start. Still, maybe he knows what's wrong. However calm she's feeling, there must be something wrong for her to just be standing motionless in a park, chanting the same words over and over again."
1. Chapter 1

She smiles. It's almost as if the man looking down at her has just been hit in the head with a sizeable mallet. He looks painfully astonished. Why is that funny? She can't quite get her head in the right order to work it out. She feels… separate. Well, maybe that makes sense considering that all of a sudden someone else has been put in charge of her mouth.

There's some vague fairground-esque noise in the background somewhere, but the park where she's standing, staring straight on at this random man, is quiet. She comes through here a fair bit, it's a good shortcut from the campus to the train station. Is that where she's supposed to be going now? Probably. And she can't say really that she's sure why she isn't moving in that direction any more. Just standing, stock still, staring up at a really tall man.

A very surprised really tall man, actually.

Oh, hang on – yes, she's still speaking. That's probably the primary issue. The gibberish must be getting to him. Though, why he doesn't just walk away is beyond her. If anyone came up to her and started repeating the same few words over and over again, she would be long gone very quickly. But this man seems to be trying to get some sense out of her. He's fighting a losing battle, frankly, but ironically she can't even tell him that. All she can do is keep repeating. It's very frustrating. For the both of them, probably.

"Yes, that's fine, I heard you. Why are you repeating? What's got inside your head? Is it a girl thing? I hope not, I'm not good with girls, I'm not good with girl things. I'm good with space things and maths things, except times tables, obviously. I'm definitely not good with boring things."

That has been his primary response to this situation, so far, to just talk very quickly and semi-nonsensically over her. It's better than calling the police, though, she has to admit. Or whacking her with a stick. There are quite a few worse things that he could be doing. Small comfort, perhaps, but a comfort nonetheless.

She should probably be more worried about this. Why is she so casual? She feels calm as she ever has. It's quite nice. Sort of… floaty. Drifting. Unkerfuffled. She wonders vaguely if that boy from her student halls has slipped her something. But she's not sure this is what tripping is like. Nothing's psychedelic or moving, except things that are supposed to be moving. Like the very surprised man she's staring at.

He's peering into her eyes now, like she's a car that won't start. Still, maybe he knows what's wrong. However calm she's feeling, there must be something wrong for her to just be standing motionless in a park, chanting the same words over and over again, completely unable to stop herself. Finally, she feels a vague twinge of panic in the pit of her stomach. It's not strong, but it's strong enough to remind her that, actually, something scary is happening. She tries her legs again. No, they're not moving anywhere, and the panic grows again ever so slightly.

She's scared now. This isn't floaty and drifting and unkerfuffled, this is real and weird and scary. And there's nothing she can do about it. She tries every limb, every muscle in her body, but nothing will move. And those words just keep spilling out. She doesn't even know what it means. How can she be saying something that she doesn't even know the meaning of? There isn't even a meaning! It's just words!

The pain in her head is mounting. What's she supposed to do? The man is clearly thinking hard but she still can't move, still can't stop speaking. The more she tries to, the more panicked she feels. It's getting overwhelming now, really overwhelming and stifling and scary, and there's nothing she can do. There's nothing that anyone can do, except this weird, tall, surprised man.

He's straightened up now, still watching avidly, waiting for a development. Well, she's about to give him one; her head feels like it's on fire and she's never been more scared. She tries to take deep breaths, but of course even that isn't an option. She continues to stare at the man, and she continues to speak, and she continues to stand straight and motionless… until, suddenly, something snaps.

Unfortunately, it does not snap in a way that allows her to leg it into the distance and never see the man again. Before she can even try and step back towards home, her legs buckle under her, and she collapses, unconscious, into the arms of the Doctor.


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

Rory's making tea in the kitchen when he hears the knock on the door. Of course he's making tea, he's always making tea. He spends most of his time at work making tea for crying women and the other nurses. Sometimes even for crying women nurses. And Amy loves a cuppa almost as much as he does. Well. She says she does, anyway. Personally he thinks that it's the biscuits that does it for her, but that's probably better kept to himself.

He's surprised at the knock on the door, though. His dad's away, camping in Wales, and Amy's parents rarely just pop round. Amy's friends do, of course, but not really at 11am on a Wednesday morning. It could be a cold caller, he supposes, though he hopes not.

Juggling the two cups and the plate of biscuits, Rory carefully makes his way to the door. He dumps the two cups full of tea on the table by the door, and is just wondering where to put the biscuits down as he lets the door off of the latch with his other hand. There's no space on that table, maybe –

"Ooh, Jammie Dodgers!"

Ah. That's who's at the door at 11am on a Wednesday morning. And, of course, just like normal, he's – wait – is that a dead body he's carrying?!

Rory stares at the Doctor, admittedly quite alarmed. "Um, Doctor?" he manages to choke out. "What on _earth_…?"

Coming to his senses, he pulls the door open, and ushers the Doctor inside (and the girl. Shit, and the girl). Whatever's going on, a man at his door with a dead body is not going to look good. Besides, it's the Doctor. Little as Rory wants to think about it right now, there is going to be some immensely complex explanation. Which is likely going to need time travel and aliens and running to solve.

"Don't be so _suspicious_, Mr Pond." the Doctor says sternly as he comes inside and through to the living room. "When have I ever caused any trouble?"

Rory gives him a swift look as he opens the living room door, and for a second he's secretly proud at getting to be so sassy. Still, the hopefully living girl seems the most important thing at the moment. As the Doctor lays her on the couch, Rory quickly kneels down at her side, and starts taking her pulse. Of course the Doctor's already done this, with his clever alien brain and his computers, but Rory's determined to make the most of his own knowledge. He's a good nurse. And this is his duty.

He recognises the girl. Not enough to know her name, or where she lives, but he definitely recognises her. Maybe she's been in the hospital with him before… no, he can't quite place her. Her pulse is normal though. So is her temperature, and her breathing. For all intents and purposes, she seems well enough to just be sleeping.

He turns around to face the Doctor, who is settled in their armchair. He's watching Rory closely, though admittedly enjoying a Jammie Dodger at the same time. "She fell on me," he tells Rory, quietly and somewhat conversationally. "I thought you were the best people to bring her to."

Rory lets that sink in for a second, then nods. "Well, she's fine," he tells him. "Physically fine, as far as I can tell. I just… how did she fall on you again?"

"Is she human?"

Wait… what? Rory stares at the Doctor, confused. How can that be what the Doctor needs Rory's advice on? Surely, with all those computers… all those brains…

"She passes all the tests," the Doctor continues, in that low voice that he uses when he's serious. "She's human. She should be human. But she's not."

Rory frowns. "Why not?"

He doesn't know what else to say. Identifying humans isn't a skill that nurses usually have to rely on. He's checked her vitals, and made her comfortable… There's something niggling at him, though. He knows this girl. He definitely knows this girl. A hundred percent, completely definitely, he knows her. But as for her species…

The Doctor is watching him carefully again. He's clearly not going to give Rory an answer as to why.

Rory sighs. "I know her," he says, a little cautiously. "I've seen her before. Not exactly sure where from, though."

It's at this point, however, when another voice comes from the doorway. A voice that Rory is very surprised to only be hearing now.

"OK," says Amy Pond, almost menacingly. "What's going on?"


End file.
